Julius berkey



(No Model.) w

' J. BERKEY.

WOQDEN RIM FOR WHEELS.

No. 558,470.- Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

ANDREW BJSRAHAM. FHO'TULITHQWASHINGTON, D.C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JULIUS BERKEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERKEY & GAYFURNITURE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WOODEN RIM FOR WHEELS.

SI-EGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,470, dated April21, 1896. Application filed July 19,1895. Serial No. 556,518. (Nomodel.)

event that a slight longitudinal movement should happen before the glueis well set or in the event that the glue should become soft.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a very light anddurable rim at a minimum expense.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likeletters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views,and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a rim showing thereinforcing ring or band in place. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing thejoint. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2, showing the joint separated.Fig. 4L is a crosssection through the rim shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is across-section on the line 5000 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view of a modifiedform.

In the drawings, A designates the wooden rim, made with the usualconvexed inner face and concaved outer face. The rim is constructed of asingle piece of material, which has been found more desirable thanveneer or laminated stock.

To unite the ends of the stock so that a firm unyielding joint isacquired, I form on each end a series of tongues B, separated by thegrooves 13. These tongues are made with tapering points I), the straightlongitudinal and parallel central sections 1), and the in- So clinedwidened bases 11 Each tongue is formed concavo-convex-that is to say,one side having the longitudinal curved bulge b while the opposite sidehas the curved recess 1), both of which extend the length of the tongue.It will be seen by such a construction that the amount of stock'in eachtongue is substantially the same, and that by the widened base the jointat the base, where the usual squared tongue is the weakest, is in mystructure strengthened. The purpose of forming the tapered ends I) is toadapt the same to the space between the widened bases, and also to avoidthe objection of an extended or widened transverse securing-surface atthe 9 5 ends with which a firm glue-j oint cannot be well made. By myform the end securingsurface is distributed along the sides and a verytight joint may be formed at that point.

I, however, wish it understood that I do not To all whom it mayconcern.-

Be it known that I, J ULIUS-BERKEY, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of 5 Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wooden Rims forlVheels and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others 10skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in wooden rims for wheels, andit is embodied in the structure hereinafter described, and

15 definitely pointed outin the claims.

The invention consists in an improved joint for uniting the ends of thewood-rim member and in improved means for strengthening the rimlongitudinally, so that the splitting of 20 the rim at the center or onthe line of the spoke-apertures will be prevented without increasing thethickness of the stock.

Heretofore it has been suggested to form a wooden rim for pneumatic-tirebicyele- 2 5 wheels of laminated or veneer strips properly fashionedwith the usual concaved periphery and covexed inner face. To prevent thewood from cracking or checking at its glue-joints, a covering of textilefabric has been secured 0 around its c-onvexed face, its edges slightlyoverlapping the edges of the rim. The covering serves as a binder forthe inner face as well as a protector to the wood. It, however, does notstrengthen the rim at its weakest 5 point, which is at its center alongthe line of spoke-apertures, but rather by skrinkage tends to draw theedges apart. Again, such coverings are expensive and unsightly.

One of the objects of this invention is to 40 avoid any objections thatcan be urged against coverings for the convexed face and to so apply thestrengthening-band that the same is obscure and the spreading tendencyof the edges or splitting of the rim is wholly over- 5 come.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tongue-and-groovejoint for the ends of the rim which will prevent all independent lateralmovements of the ends and to so fash- 50 ion the tongues that they willhold fast in the broadly claim a tapered tongue, nor do I claim a tonguehaving a concave-concave or a concave-convex cross-section, in whichcase the stock of the concaved tongues is much less than the others andthereby greatly weakens the joint.

The object of forming the straight parallel sections 1) is to overcomethe known objection to the tapered tongue, which latter separate at allpoints as soon as they are moved slightlylongitudinally away from theadjoinsame manner as a wedge when loosened; but by the use of thestraight sections I acquire the benefits of a straight closely-unitedface which will maintain its close contact even when moved slightly andthus prevent the joint from being destroyed. In other words, I securethe benefits of both the straight and tapered tongue.

By the concave-convex cross-sectional form of tongue it will be seenthat all lateral movement is prevented and at the same time the stock orstrength of each tongue is not impaired.

In the use of wooden rims it is necessary to form an alternating seriesof apoke-apertures at the center of the rim, each aperture beinginclined in the direction of its spoke. The tension is thereforeslightly lateral instead of direct or radial. It has been found thatthis strain, aided by the pressure on the edges of the rim, will tend tosplit the rim along the line of perforations. This tendency to split haslead to the suggestion of increasing the thickness of the wood at thecenter, but such increases the rigidity of the rim as well as itsweight. It has also been suggested to place plates across the concavedface of the rim and to provide such plate with teeth, which take intothe wood at or near the edges. Such structures are whollyunsatisfactory, as involving unnecessary expense, and increases theweight as well as weakening the rim at the narrow edge sections wherethe teeth penetrate.

To overcome the objections known to exist and to add the requisitestrength to the weakest part of the rim throughout its entirecircumference, I slightly recess the concaved wall from a point a shortdistance back from the edges, as at D, and insert in or fill this recesswith a ring or continuous band of canvas of web or other strong fabricE, the canvas filling out the recess and making an even outer surface.This fabric is securely glued or cemented throughout its entire innersurface directly to the wood and forms, in substance, an integralstrengthening-band for the entire rim and from points substantially fromedge to edge transversely. This strengthening-band being of lightmaterial adds but little to the weight, and by actual test has beenfound to. increase the strength of the rim from three to four fold.

The strengthening-band is carried directly over the spoke-apertures orthe usual countersinks for the heads of the spokes, as shown in Fig. 6,and by a suitable implement openings may be made in the band to admitthe ends ot the spokes.

On the ends of the spokes S, I place the toothed washers F, the teeth ofwhich take into the fabric at different points around the apertures, andserve as means to further strengthen the material at the apertures andreinforce the walls of the countersinks, as shown atfin Figs. 4 and 6.

It will be noticed that the reinforcing-band of fabric which is seatedin the recess of the rim extends to a point between the center and edgeof the rim and lies substantially flush with the face of the rim. Bythis means there will be an unoccupied space between the edge of the rimand reinforcing-band, and to this section of the rim the tire iscemented, thereby sealing the edges and preventing moisture from gainingaccess to the edges of the fab rie. This feature of the invention is ofgreat importance.

It is to be understood that I do not limit my invention to therecessingof the rim, as the fabric maybe applied to the rim without forming therecess. Again, I do not wish to be understood as broadly claiming aprotecting fabric covering for the entire rim, nor a covering of textilefabric inclosing a joint; but what I believe to be new and an importantadvance in the art is the strengthening of longitudinally-grooved woodenrims to effectually prevent the splitting along the line ofspoke-apertures by applying a strengthening-band of fabric around therim longitudinally and across the base of the tire-seat I am aware thatit has been heretofore suggested to place a metal strengthening-bandacross the seat of the rim, its edges being bent over or otherwisesecured to the edges of the rim. Such structures are, however,objectionable, as they destroy the elasticity of the rim, addunnecessary weight, tend to draw and break the edges of the rim, andcannot be made a fixed or integral part of the base of the concaved faceof the rim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A solid-wood wheel-rim having a concaved seatingface andspoke-apertures, and an exposed fabric reinforcing-band extendedentirely around the rim over the apertures so that the spoke-heads willengage the fabric, said band being cemented throughout to the seat ofthe rim, its width being less than the width of the rim whereby itsedges terminate 011 opposite sides at points between the edges andcenter of the rim, substantially as de scribed.

2. A wood wheel-rim having a joint, consisting of tongue-and-groovedends, the tongues having a concave-convex form in eross-section,substantially as described.

3. A Wood wheel-rim having a joint,consisting of tongue-and-groovedends, the tongues formed with tapered sections and straight Vex incross-section, In testimony whereof I affix my signature sections,andconcave-con substantially as described. in presence of two Witnesses.

4:. A joint for the ends of Wood rims, consisting of tongue-and-groovedends, the tongues JULIUS BERKEY. 5 having tapered outer and inner ends,and Witnesses:

straight parallel sections between the ends, G. A. PENNINGTON,

substantially as described.

L. S. BACON.

